Berlin: More (Electric) Power to the People

by Antonio Pasolini on January 8, 2013

German capital Berlin is one of Europe’s great cities and if BürgerEnergie Berlin (Citizens Energy Berlin) could have its way, it will be even greater.

Greenbang writes that the government coalition that leads Berlin has decided to regain control of electricity production. That’s all good, but it gets better: besides making electricity production locally managed again, they want it to be 100 percent renewable, too.

BürgerEnergie Berlin is heading the initiative. The group wants to buy the city grid from Vattenfall and turn it into a citizen-controlled alternative energy system. Talk about more power to the people! The group is currently applying for a license from the Berlin administration.

BürgerEnergie Berlin says the local grid is worth €400 million (US$523 million); Vattenfall, which bought it in 1997, says it is worth €3 billion (US$3.93 bn). The concession expires in late 2014, when the Berlin Senate could shift operation control to the hands of another organization, so the group does have a chance.